Clutch mechanism and changing of speed



Dec. 10, 1929. DURAN Y \DASPENAS ,2 6

CLUTCH MECHANISM AND'CHANGING OF SPEED Filed June 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 10, 1929. DURAN Y DASPENAS 1,739,216

CLUTCH MECHANISM AND CHANGING 0F SPEED Fil ed June 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NILE/V70)? Dec. 10, 1929. L. DURAN Y DASPENAS CLUTCH MECHANISM AND CHANGING OF SPEED v 3 Shets-Sheet- 3 Filed June 4. 1927 INVENTO/B.

Patented Dec. 10, 1929 LORENZO DURAN v DASPENAS, or HABANA, CUBA CLUTCH MECHANISM AND CHANGING OF SPEED Application filed June 4, 1927. Serial No. 196,605.

This invention refers to a speed changing mechanism and its object is mainly to provide a mechanism of such kind entirely automatic in its operation, relieving the operator from'the troubles of shifting successive gears and making the engagements and disengagements such as required today in the use and handling of automobiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that only requires the operation of the brake and accelerator pedals, all the operations pertaining to the changing of speed between the driving and driven axles being automatically made by means of such mechanism.

And another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of such kind requiring less space and minor construction cost, more simple to handle and more durable than those actually known, and furthermore, entirely without noise.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a diametral section of the mechanism. V

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking from the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is the same section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking from the right hand side of that figure.

Fig. 1 is a detailed section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detailed section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing a longitudinal view of the pivoting shaft of the brake.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a flywheel, rigidly connected to the driving axle 1, to which are annexed the bearings 2 and 3, pivotally supporting the shafts of the worms 2 and 3, parallelly arranged and bearing on their ends, respectively, the pinion 4, loosely mounted and the pinion 5, rigidly fixed by means of the wedge 12 and nut 13, said pinions being designed to engage the gear crown wheel 6, secured to the driven axle 7 by means of the wedge 8. On the shaft 7 is loosely mounted the worm wheel 9, which meshes with the worms 2 and 3.

The pinion 4 has integrally annexed a working clutch member 10, provided with a notch or' cut 10 the sides of which are oppositely inclined and designed to always connect with a clutch member provided with a raised tooth 14' of minor length than the notch or cut 10, said clutch member carrying a wedge which allows it to be slidable on the shaft of worm 2, though rotating together with same. Said member 14: has an annular groove 15, into which play two pins 16, diametrally opposite and projecting from two opposite branches formed at the same end of a lever 17 pivotally mounted at 17 on the body of the flywheel 1. This lever is connected at its other end and by means of a connecting rod 18 with a lever 18 pivotally mounted at 18", on the body of flywheel 1 and on the other end has a forked end with a double pin and annular groove connection, with a counterweight 19, slidably mounted on a stem 26, fixed in radial position on the annular flange of the flywheel 1. there being a spring 28, coiled around the stem 26, one end of said spring resting in an annular cavity formed in the extreme end of the counterweight 19 and the other end against a nut 27, screwed on the threaded portion of the stem 26 and regulating the tension of the spring 28.

The lever 17 is connected by means of a connecting rod 20 with a forked lever 21, similar to the lever 17 and pivotally mounted at 21 in the opposite side to the center of the flywheel 1 and which is connected, by means of a double pin and annular groove connection, with a cylinder 28, slidably mounted on the shaft of the worm 3, said member 23 being designed to maintain the equilibrium with reward to the clutch member 14; and at the same time, the other end of the lever 21 is connected by means of a connecting rod 22 with the opposite end of the lever 17. The same end of the lever 21 is connected, by means of a connecting rod 24, with the other end of lever 24, similar to lever 18, and pivotally mounted at 24", on the body of the flywheel 1 and having a double stem and circular groove connection with a counterweight 25, similar to counterweight 19, slidably mounted in another stem 26, similar to the stem 26' first described and mounted in a way similar on or over the flange of the flywheel 1, the

two counterweights 19 and being in diametrally opposite positions.

Connected to the pinion 5 as an integral portion of same is a stablizer cylinder 11, for equalizing the weight of the clutch member 10. V

Around the driven axle 7..is placed a brake band29, articulated by meansof the-arm to the supporting fork 30, projecting inwardly from the cover 1 of the mechanism, there being a circular-bando'f-oamel hide32 connected to the brake band 29in order to :t'rictionally act upon'the-gea-r crownwheel 6. In its motion, the brake band .is movedby means of a guide 31, projecting inwardly ,fromithescover .1"..and on which advances a vforked projection .3lf, abutting from the ibrakelban'd "29. The amotionis imparted to the brakelband'29ibymeans. of anarm 34 de- :signed.to.engage an abutment. 35 of-the brake Yband:;29 andloosely mountedhat the: end 01"- a horizontal shaft 38, rotatably .mounted through-the c0ver"1.and carrying on its outside-end-the pedalbar 33, .therevbeingv-a coil spring 36 wound .around the shaft 33, said spring irestlng by fa curved :end thereof against the arm x34 1' and at the other end against an abutment formed on a collar 36 ,fixed to the shaft --.33,ithe;arm"3.4:being re- .tainedin ,position means of a detent 34 pro ectingafrom same and acting agalnst a detent 34 PTOJGCtlIlg froIn-a collar-34',

ofixed-vtotheshaft 33.. .Thus -when the brake bandl29 is not operated, the :sameis-held sep /-.arated fromthagearcrown wheel 6. Upon the driven axle 17 is slidably mounted .a coupling ,38 designedttosa'ct forthe forward mo- ,.tion a-or the rearward motion respectively, upon one of the-two beveled gear wheels 39 .anda40, meshingtaththe sameztime with the ,beveled ggear pinion L41 :loosely mounted on the cover I. Thecclut-ch member -.88-is'connectedito the: shaft-f7 by means of theekey 42 and said-member 38 is-operated-by a forked lever 37,,pivotally-mounted onla easing 1 -.,'annexed"to the cover 1 and rSillCl lever 37 carries a pin -43, --operated by the spring 44 and arranged toconnect-with one of the three ygroovesror(recesses-45, 4601' 47 ofthe casing .1", at wi1l,and placeithe-ch1tch'38 in posi- 7. :tion: ofyforward neutral or;rearward run.

The operation of thi-s-mechanismlis as fol- Once thezmotorstarted. whereby the fly- ;wheel 1 rotates carrying the worms 2-and 3 whiclrhyaineans of; the pinions 4=and 5 impart motion-to thegearcrown wheel 6, due to the Efaetthat-the lever 37, has beemp'laced in neuztral position, thepedal '33'is-acted so as to doralre the car and said lp-edalfby means of the arm '34, tightens 'the' brake band 29 against the ,gearscrown wheel 6, until same is stopped, sozth'atzthe p1n1ons4 and 5 roll over same-with the worms'2and 8, which, in their rtnrnarotatethe'wormiwheel9. The lever 37 .mence sliding towards the periphery of the flywheel ,1, yielding to the centrifugal force when the same overcomes the tension of springs 28 and upon the clutch members 10 -'-and 14 tending to separate, due to the pressure exerted between the tooth o1 the member "1'4andthegrooveside of member 10, by virtue of the force of inertia.

The motion eti ecte d by the counterweights 19 and 25 is transmitted by levers .18" and 17,24 and 2]., .to .the clutch member 14,.forcing the tooth 14 still deeper intothe inclined side .groove 10 ofmember 10,*thus producing. an advance in .therotation of the worm 2and therefore, an

increasexin theresistance to the rotation of both worms :2 and Sin regard to the worm wheel 9, braking this one'and reducir the speed of rotation of the opinions 4 and 5, which will start to rotate the gear crown "wheel 6, thusinitiatingthe rotation of the driven axle'i and the'motion of the car. Once the. car is underway, due to' the .force of inertia, thepressure exerted between the tooth 14 of the clutch member 14 and thegroove 10 of the member 10': diminishes, therefore diminishing. the force exerted by-both members :tosepar=ate,-t thus favoring or helping the separation ofithecounterweights 19 and 25 towardsthe peripheryoithe flywheel 1. Thus, the speed of rotation of. the gear crown wheel 6 increases, and with it, that of the driven axle 7 and that of the automobile.

Since the tension of the coil springsl28 rand-force ofinertia act directly against the centrifugal force at any moment that the speed :of the driving axle is reduced, the centrifugal force acting upon the counterweights 19 and 25 will also diminish, these counterweights receding and this motion being imparted by means of the levers 18and 1'7, 24 and 21, to the clutch member 1 4, the tooth 14 of which will slide-away fromthe groove 10 of theememb'er 10, decreasing the advancement of worm 2 and evening, there- '-fore,'thecrotation of both worms 2 and 3 with =regard to'the-worm wheel 9, thereuponthe pinions 42'2111d 5-do not pull the gear crown 'wheel'6'in going about the latter which will reduce-its speed, also that of the driven axle 7. WhenE'the motion of the car is desired to stop, there'is' nothing else to do but release the accelerator pedal and operate pedal 33, with which the car will be braked. Upon reducing the speed of the driven axle, the

counterweight-s 19 and 25 will recede-to their 'normalzmaximum limit, which will cause the free rotation of the pinions 4 and 5 upon the gear crownwheel '6, shortly before the rautomobilezcomes to a stop. Once the speed of the car is checked, the brake pedal may be released if the car is not on a grade, because in order to start the car again it is necessary to push down on the accelerator pedal to impart to the motor its required speed.

According to the explanations above, the engagement and disengagement or shifting of gears is effected without the use of levers or clutches, as usually done today with mechanisms in actual use for changing speeds.

When the car is going down hill, the speed of the motor is reduced and will serve same as a brake, the disconnection being impossible because the pinion 5 cannot rotate being prevented from so doing by worm 2, which cannot be operated by pinion 4, on account of the cut 10 being larger than the tooth l i offering to it sufficient space for escaping engagement.

Several changes may be made in the form of the invention, without departing from the spirit of same, such as expressed in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In speed changing mechanism, a driving axle, a driven axle, a fly wheel secured and a fixed pinion carried respectively on the ends of the shafts of the two worms and meshlng with the crown gear, said loosely mounted pinion having a clutch member provided with a groove the sides of which are steeply inclined, counterweights mounted on the body of the fly wheel for radial movement, springs to move said counterweights toward the driving shaft, a clutch member slidably mounted on the shaft of the loosely mounted pinion and having a tooth arranged to slide against the notch of the first named clutch member, a counterweight cylinder slidably mounted on the shaft of said fixed pinion, sets of levers connecting the spring pressed counterweights to one of the slidable members on the shafts of the free and fixed pinions, so that upon sliding the tooth of the clutch member against a notch of the free pinion the rotation of the two worms is varied with regard to the intermediate Worm wheel and the pull of the crown gear fixed to the driven shaft effected.

LORENZO DURAN Y DASPENAS.

to the driving axle, a crown gear wheel fixed to the driven axle, means to brake the crown gear wheel, a set of counterweighte'd'gear members rotatably mounted on the body of the fly wheel and meshing with said crown gear, counterweights mounted on the body of the fly wheel for radial movement, springs to move said counterweights toward the driving shaft and connecting means between the counterweights and the counterweighted gear members for varying the speed of rotation of said gear members in regard to each other and producing the pull of the crown gear fixed to the driven axle.

2. In speed changing mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a fly wheel secured to the driving shaft, a crown gear fixed to the driven shaft, means to brake the crown gear, a set of counterweighted gear members rotatably mounted on the body of the fly wheel and meshing with the crown gear, counterweights mounted on the body of the fly wheel for radial movement, springs to move said counterweights toward the driving shaft, and connecting means between the counterweights and the weighted gear members for varying the rotation of said gear members in regard to each other and producing the pull of the crown gear attached to the driven shaft.

3. In speed changing mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a fly wheel fixed to the driving shaft, a crown gear fixed to the driven shaft, spring actuated means to brake said crown gear, a set of two worms revolubly mounted on the body of the fly wheel and opposite said crown gear, a worm wheel engaging said set of worms and loosely mounted on the driven shaft, a loosely mounted pinion 

